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The Museum Gazette 



SEASIDE BIRD-LIFE IN AUGUST. 



At this season a low, sandy coast affords more variety and 

 interest in its bird-life than a rocky one would do ; a southern 

 or western coast does not present the same abundance of birds 

 as an eastern one. It must be remembered that in August the 

 autumn migration of many species that follow coast-lines is 

 just beginning, whilst many localities where sea-birds have 

 abounded since April or May are now being rapidly depleted 

 as the young and their parents are dispersing far and wide 

 until next spring. Other birds begin in early autumn to 

 resort to the coast from more or less inland breeding places. 

 With these few preliminary remarks we will now proceed to 

 note the various species that may, with more or less certainty, 

 be found upon the coast in August. 



For many months a flat, sandy, or muddy coast presents 

 little of interest to the ornithologist. Such districts are com- 

 mon enough on the eastern coast-line of England, from the 

 Humber southwards, and along the English Channel in places, 

 especially about the various estuaries and so forth. But few 

 species frequent them in summer. Here and there in the 

 more secluded districts the pretty Ringed Plover 1 may be 

 watched daintily running over the wet sands, and now in 

 family parties. It is about as big as a Thrush, with a broad 

 white collar and underparts, black breast and cheeks, and 

 grey-brown upper parts. Here and there colonies of Lesser 

 Terns 2 have their summer quarters upon the shingle ; this 

 species is the smallest of the British " Sea Swallows," and 

 like all the rest is grey above (except for a black crown) and 

 white below. The Oystercatcher 3 is more local on our 

 southern beaches, but widely dispersed over most of the 

 northern ones ; a curious, noisy, and excessively shy bird, 



1 ALgialitis major. 2 Sterna minuta. 3 Hcematopus ostralegus. 



